By Justin HAGER

Following a calm and professional presentation and public comment period at the monthly meeting of the Crescenta Valley Town Council, in which numerous community members offered comments and questions on the issue of street improvements and bulb-outs on La Crescenta Avenue, the meeting turned to the issue of the makeup of the council itself – and things became a little heated.

Councilmember Chris Kilpatrick unveiled plans for the upcoming December elections, including the candidate application submission deadline of Nov. 10, 2021 and candidate application fee, which the Elections Committee proposed to raise from $40 to $150 in order to raise money for the council. CVTC revenues all but dried up during the pandemic.

Councilmember Desiree Rabinov questioned the authority of the Elections Committee to raise the fee without first going through the Council as a whole or the Finance Committee specifically as required by the CVTC bylaws in accordance to a subsection of Article 6. The article, in part, requires that “The Finance Committee shall prepare a budget for the year and oversee the finances for any event sponsored by the Council.”

Kilpatrick responded by stating that another subsection of Article 6 does allow the Election Committee to make this decision. When pushed further on whether the CVTC election would fall under the definition of “any event sponsored by the Council” and thus trigger the need for Finance Committee review, Council Vice President Aram Ordubegian explained that, due to the pandemic, the Council was critically low on funds and that “we are not bound by the bylaws in an emergency situation.”

The CV Weekly reached out to Ordubegian regarding the conflict at last week’s meeting, and his response stated affirmatively that he had little to add.

“I don’t have to much more to add to what you heard,” he said. “It was laid out in detail during the meeting.”

After a lengthy discussion and input from every councilmember present, the Council voted to make the candidacy fee $100 and moved on without resolving the issue of authority or bylaws.

With tensions still high following the election discussion, the Council next moved to the issue of Councilmember Sophal Ear’s residency and qualifications to continue to serve on the town council. Recent social media postings and community intrigue revealed that Councilmember Ear and his family have relocated to Arizona, raising the question of whether he met the requirements of the CVTC’s bylaws for a continued role on the Council. For his part, Councilmember Ear has consistently stated that, although he does have a residence in Arizona, he returns to La Crescenta regularly and maintains his domicile here, along with his mailing address, voter registration, car registration and California driver’s license.

It should be noted that, as a non-governmental entity with no public legislative or legal authority beyond that granted by its own bylaws, the CVTC is an entirely private organization and is not bound by any of the laws that would govern legislative bodies such as a city council, county board, state legislature or special district. Although the question might arise regarding the purpose of having three alternate council members if not to step in when someone relocates a job and/or family outside of the community, the qualifications to serve on the Council, and the determination of eligibility, are entirely governed by the CVTC’s bylaws and the discretion of the current council.

Following another highly engaging discussion the Council voted to allow Councilmember Ear to serve out the remaining months of his term as elected.

When asked about the ongoing conflicts and whether the county might intervene should the conflicts continue, Supervisor Barger emphasized that the CV Town Council is a private, independent, unpaid, volunteer organization that selflessly serves the community and plays a pivotal role as advisors to government officials at every level.

“I am deeply appreciative of the role the Crescenta Valley Town Council plays to provide a voice and vision for the community,” Supervisor Barger said. “Since its inception, the town council has been the eyes and ears of residents and offers a forum for neighbors to share their perspectives. While town council members give my office invaluable insight about local issues, they are a self-governed, independent body and are not under the jurisdiction of Los Angeles County. I am sincerely grateful for their contributions and conversations and I entrust their members will always come together for the greatest good of the Crescenta Valley.”